Dear Politicians: Its Health Care Not Health Insurance, Stupid!

Can we reset this entire healthcare argument to focus on the real issue here? The issue is healthcare not health insurance! This is driving me nuts. We don’t go to the insurance company to diagnose our runny nose do we? We don’t ask some insurance bureaucrat to reset our lower back due to a tweak we have after lifting a box the wrong way, do we? We don’t go to the insurance office to get a prenatal exam during pregnancy, do we? NO we go to the doctor’s office.

We have been so programmed to deal with insurance companies for healthcare issues that we can’t see the forest through the trees. We should be dealing directly with our doctor to set up our appointments and make payments according to the services provided. Instead we are calling insurance companies to discuss co-pays and coverage of basic services that actually are already affordable.

Now we are on the cusp of adding government bureaucrats into the mix of insurance bureaucrats to get in the way of the relationship between us and our doctor. What are we nuts! The answer is not to empower more useless paper pushing or key banging office people to manage such a simple transaction. Just as you go to the mechanic to fix your car and then you pay the bill, you should be going to the doctor, receive your care, and pay your bill.

The biggest issue that drives the “need” for insurance is the fear of taking ill and needing critical or chronic long term care. The fear of bankruptcy is the biggest driver of insurance. Just like we fear fire and flood destroying our housing investment, in healthcare we fear a heart attack, a cancer diagnosis, or some other illness because if we don’t have insurance it can bankrupt us! What if the issue of going bankrupt from a healthcare issue could be solved? How would that change the complexion of healthcare?

From the service provider side, doctors, nurses, and hospitals fear being sued for mal-practice. They have to carry mal-practice insurance which increases costs and does little for the betterment of healthcare. Actually it has created a “lottery” mentality where any “mistake” is treated as a ticket to Easyville! No doubt there are circumstances where doctors or hospitals are negligent, but lawyers have made an industry of suing doctors for every issue just to get in front of an ignorant jury that award large paydays. Most of the time these frivolous lawsuits are settled to reduce the time and effort it takes to fight the lawsuits. The way to fix it is to have jurists that understand medicine instead of the normal jury process. A “jury of your peers” in healthcare are people that understand healthcare, and I’m not suggesting this to put the fix in for doctors, but to put people on the jury that understand the complex arguments that we just are not educated to understand. It also would reduce the emotional component of “regular” jurists that end up awarding ridiculous amounts for things that are not malpractice. As healthcare professionals know, there is inherent risk in certain procedures. If we don’t address this doctors will stop doing surgeries that have any risk and who benefits from that? What if mal-practice lawsuits were changed? How would that change the complexion of healthcare?

Eliminating insurance from preventative care, removing the fear of bankruptcy due to an illness, and mal-practice reform would be three steps that would change the face of healthcare for the better. If we did those three simple things to start we could then look at the market and see what other issues we could improve through free market principles.

The debate about healthcare should not be dominated by insurance but rather the improved delivery and management of healthcare. Oh and the biggest change of all: get politicians out of our doctor’s office!

Go Ahead, Make Me Pay!

It is a very sad day in America. The pot has come to a boil and we are now all feeling the burn. The constitution is nothing but a piece of paper. Yeah! It is given lip service by politicians but in reality it has become useless words because the SCOTUS has become a political body.

The SCOTUS has become nothing more than an instrument to undermine and legitimize federal expansion. Just look at the process to appoint judges to the Supreme Court. It is no longer legal minds it is political hacks. There is an obvious solution and it lies within the constitution and it is tied to the Tenth Amendment; nullification!

It is now the states and the people that must revolt against this out of control federal monstrosity. It is time for civil discourse. It is time to take a stand: Go Ahead Make Me Pay! It is time as a people to force the federal government to throw every one of us in jail for not complying with this assault on our freedom.

This is now the real deal folks. This is now the rallying cry for any patriot that believes in the principles of this great nation. It is time to band together and force this government to comply with our demands. It is we the people’s government and our politicians need to know that.

I have heard the Tea Party is dead? Is it? The disgust is palpable and it is no longer good enough to just vote. We need to band together at every attempt of this government to mandate our compliance and say no more. This is our government not theirs.

So out of the ashes of our constitutional shredding by the SCOTUS today will come a new revolution? This is the shot heard around the world. It is no longer enough to just talk about it. It is time for action. It is time for civil disobedience.

Mitt Romney needs to say one thing: total repeal. The he_ _ with replace. The market will replace this with a system that will actually work and be affordable.

It is time…

Live or Let Die?

Deciding what to do at the end of one’s life is not the decision of any government bureaucracy. It is an individual choice that is a painful and difficult decision for both the individual facing that decision and the family members of that individual that must live with the loss.

The fact is we are all going to die. Some of us will die unexpectedly, others will die naturally, and for some the end of life becomes so painful and agonizing decisions on how much longer they will live can be the catalyst for ethical and moral clashes. Some people that have been fighting cancer or other debilitating diseases are often in circumstances that become unbearable for that individual. Quietly they choose to move on to the next life and concede the battle. It is generally a peaceful process that is comforted with some of the wonderful drugs that have enabled us to ease the pain of our loved ones.

In some cases family members struggle to accept the inevitable process of dying and interject their own desire and selfishness to keep their loved one around through extra ordinary measures. Even when individual patients have DNR orders (Do Not Resuscitate) it is not unusual for family members to intercede and frantically request their love one be “saved”. This is not for the benefit of the patient but rather a guilt or unresolved issue with the family member. It is a very personal experience and every family works it out every day across this country. Rarely is the decision made based on money, it is usually the reality that the family member has made their peace with the world.

Healthcare and dying are personal. The dignity of patients and their families is paramount. There is no place in this decision for a federal government bureaucrat. But that is what is happening. Through the use of “incentives” for doctors to either be financially efficient or utilize specific programs that reduce the cost of maintaining the elderly, the federal government has worked their way into that very personal relationship between a patient, doctor, and family. The efforts of the federal government to influence a doctor’s decision on care, especially end of life care is not only unconstitutional it is morally appalling.

Healthcare has been hijacked by the government and insurance companies by creating a false marketplace that has no built in mechanisms to control itself. Just as it is a personal decision as to whether or not I purchase health insurance, it is a personal choice, and my individual right to liberty how I decide to manage the end of my life. I am not talking about promoting assisted suicide; I am promoting individual freedom and liberty. I don’t need the morality police or the federal bureaucrat deciding any aspect of my private care. I can choose to fight cancer with all of my power and resources or I can choose to save my resources and allow the natural outcome of my decision. Every individual should have that right. It may be uncomfortable for some but freedom is a very uncomfortable but undeniable right.

That is why I am vehemently against government in the healthcare industry. We need more private market incentives in the basics of healthcare allowing for a better market to develop for end of life care. We are all going to die whether we want to face it or not. But the federal government should not be impacting that aspect of our lives in any way. It is not only unconstitutional - it will end up being a criminal enterprise if allowed to continue. You mark my words…

Why Government and Insurance Companies are Bad for our Health…

Health Insurers need to make profits and the Government has been proven to be inefficient, unqualified, and subject to corruption through the political process. It is that simple.

Health Insurance companies that are either for profit or non profit at the end of the day have to ration care based on how much revenue they collect through premiums. The system of health insurance breaks down when the outlays for medical payments exceeds the amount of premiums brought in. So in order to survive, the insurance company must limit the amount they pay out. The only way to do that is to ration what services they will pay with the insurance premiums collected by their customers.

What health insurance premiums cover is a major part of the problem and fixing this is one of the keys to the solution of making healthcare more affordable and accessible. Insurance is for things that are unexpected and can’t be planned for like a house fire, hurricane, car accident, heart attack or appendix bursting. Insurance is not for paying to change the oil in your car, water your lawn, paint the family room or get a check up for your kids to join the High School swim team. Those expenses can be planned for, shopped around, and do not warrant a need for insurance.

The “market” for healthcare is so regulated it actually doesn’t exist in any real sense of the definition of market. Insurance companies and government welfare plans determine where, when, what, and how much they will pay for medical care. Shoppers and competitive principles need not apply. If consumers were paying for basic medical services, quality would rise, prices would fall, demand would stabilize, and the real market value would become apparent for the American consumer. It would also increase the ability for insurance companies to issue policies to cover catastrophic or highly cost intensive procedures (what they are best at doing). If all people carried a reasonable catastrophic policy, the true reason for insurance could be realized without impacting basic care. Large pools of people paying and less payouts based on the actuarial tables for the most costly and specialized procedures. (Two other side notes; tort reform, and clinics designed to handle basic and repeatable services removing the need for a doctor. These basic, common and repeatable services would be handled by certified healthcare professionals.)

The federal government has no authority to be in the healthcare business. That being said, the current Medicare and Medicaid systems are littered with fraud, inefficiency, and political and corporate corruption. To believe the government is a better administrator of any program is delusional. Those that believe corporations and insurance companies are corrupt often place their confidence in government bureaucracies they believe “protect” the people. I will not go deep here but the corruption of bureaucrats is so far greater than corporate corruption and the facts don’t support their misplaced trust. Government healthcare is already proven to be all of the things above, inefficient and corrupt. It will get worse as private insurance options are reduced due to the new regulations in the Obama healthcare bill and even more reliance falls to the government. Medicare and Medicaid are bankrupt and Medicaid is a disgrace. To invest more trust in these bankrupt systems is again delusional.

The answer is to get both insurance companies and the government out of basic decisions on healthcare and put them back into the hands of doctors and patients. After all, who cares about your health, you and your doctor or some bureaucrat or insurance adjuster? I think the answer is obvious.

Governments only role here is to provide for the truly needy, not the needy they create through dependence. But we have seen what the outcome is of placing welfare in the hands of government; more welfare and dependency. This dependency has come at a cost of tens of trillions of dollars and dashed dreams of generations of Americans. It is also destroying the market of healthcare. The waste and inefficiency of government is undermining the ability of a real health market to exist. The result of government care will be less access, poorer quality, shortages of doctors and nurses, and a revival of two types of healthcare; one for the people that can pay and one where people are dying while they wait in lines to see a doctor.

The way we currently pay for healthcare is the real problem. As consumers we shop for a car, a house, clothes, etc…, and based on quality, price, and our income we buy the things we can afford. I buy a Camry, my neighbor buys a Mercedes and we both buy based on our wants, needs, and abilities. We weigh the costs and benefits and buy what we can afford. When is the last time you asked a doctor how much it will cost you for a physical? When is the last time you “shopped” directly for any medical service? Exactly, you don’t. People are paying in excess of $300 a month for cell phone and cable but we can’t pay for a doctor visit? People are buying the NFL cable package but they can’t pay for a checkup? People are paying to go out to dinner three nights a week but they can’t pay for blood work? You get the idea. If you want the best healthcare system in the world you need to apply the best market practices in the world; competition.

There was a time not long ago when people had a direct customer to doctor relationship. That changed when wage freezes were introduced and companies that wanted to get better employees (competition) offered health plans to supplement the wage caps that were forced down by government to adhere to (law of unintended consequences). That and the government’s move into Medicare, Medicaid, and Social welfare expansions that have undermined the doctor patient relationship ever since. Some good was done for the poor in the beginning but as always government programs with good intentions have expanded and now is poised to destroy the best healthcare in the world.

There are many people out there that think the answer to everything is tax the rich. Well they may feel good about saying that but the reality is they have no moral ground to ask someone who works hard to pay for them just because they believe they are entitled to be healthy.

For some strange reason many Americans have come to believe they have a “right” to healthcare. It is impossible to have a right to healthcare unless you force doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals to provide services to patients. Rights are derived from natural circumstances. For example, freedom is a right, free speech is a right, and the right to assemble; all have one thing in common; they don’t require anyone else to give up their rights. At some point these healthcare professionals will leave the profession and if we continue in the direction we are going that will come sooner rather than later.

There are people that are currently receiving the best medical care because the “rich” have put up with the current system, but that is coming to an end. These people are spending other people’s money and it is running out and running away. The wealthy always have the means to move. Just think of the Beatles and every other British rock star that fled Britain because their income was taxed at 95%. They moved to America and remained until those tax laws were changed. Now rich people are fleeing America’s tax system and setting up residence in tax friendly havens. So the people left holding the bag will not be the “rich” or those “greedy” corporations that employ people; it will be the people that feel entitled to the wealth of others that will be stuck paying the bills. And then we will get what we truly deserve.

The answer is not insurance companies or government bureaucracies. The answer is a renewed relationship between the patient and doctor; a reformed tort system that doesn’t force healthcare professionals to pay $100,000 a year out of their pocket for mal-practice insurance; a reorganization of basic healthcare services that don’t require the attention of a doctor and can be handled by certified practitioners. We need insurance policies that focus on risk as opposed to paying for basic services. The government’s role should be limited to providing for the truly needy, not the people that don’t want to pay for healthcare because it may cut into their life style. And finally a method to provide for pre-existing conditions that evenly spreads the risk amongst all insurance providers.

We need to stop looking at this in the way we currently are; government VS insurance companies. The main players should be the patient and the doctor. If we leave this debate to the insurance providers and government; we all lose…

Why any Attempt to Cut Obesity by the Federal Government is Unconstitutional…

Michelle Obama, unelected wife of Barack Obama is on a kick to reduce obesity in America, specifically our kids, and more specifically by unconstitutional mandates. Why is this attempt unconstitutional? Like most things the federal government does or is doing, it is not part of the defined powers in the constitution. The reason the founders defined, specifically the things the federal government can do was to insure they would not do things like decide your menu at home, in school or any place else where we eat. The constitution is designed to LIMIT the federal government to specific enumerated powers. The rest is left to individuals and the state. It is about protecting freedom from tyranny.

Michelle Obama is free to use the “bully pulpit” as the wife of the president to encourage people to eat healthy, but that’s where her or any federal bureaucrat’s power is supposed to end.

Within the unconstitutional healthcare bill there is a provision, that “every American’s electronic health record must: Calculate body mass index. Automatically calculate and display body mass index based on a person’s height and weight.”

I say no. As an individual citizen protected by the U.S. Constitution, I will not allow my body mass index to be recorded for the federal government to analyze. Why, first it invades my privacy and second I know what they are going to do with that information, they are going to control people’s lives. How you say? When the data is crunched and the BMI is calculated the results will be used to determine what foods the federal government will ban from consumption. They will say we are too fat and we must end the production of Twinkies in this country. Laugh but it’s not funny. I like Twinkies and ho ho’s, and Hershey bars, and Reese’s Pieces, and chocolate cake and freedom, and if I want to get fat, that is my right.

Again you say, by being fat you will cost the federal government more in healthcare. No I will not because I pay for my own healthcare. Again you say, eventually the federal government will be the only insurer for healthcare and I say I would rather die. This is why healthcare is unconstitutional. It goes beyond any enumerated power, and no matter how you or I feel about obesity and the efforts to curb it, you can’t use the federal government beyond its constitutional powers, otherwise you infringe on my freedoms. In order to protect freedom we MUST hold the federal government in check no matter what the issue of the day is. Do you see what has happened?

It is so obvious when you start to follow the logic of these tyrants dressed up as do gooders. They know better than you on what you should eat, drive, study, career, retire, do you see now?

We are being boiled one unconstitutional bill after another. Slowly these bills create a web of chains on our freedom, and one day we wake up to a knock on the door, “Mr. Hand, we see you didn’t fill out your BMI and we must take you down to the government controlled hospital to weigh and measure you. As soon as we finish that we will taking you to the prison cell to serve the sentence of two years for failing to conform to health regulation UPTHECREEK 101.”

The constitution must be adhered to and every Governor of every state must nullify every federal law that is passed that does not meet constitutional muster… Next we will discuss nullification…

Obama Healthcare may actually save the free market…

What? Are you crazy! This president despises the free market and is creating policies that are destroying the free market! You say… Well think about it carefully. Take healthcare for instance.

Living with a nurse for 25 years, you can imagine how many conversations we have had regarding healthcare. Me, a student of politics, and self proclaimed policy analyst, and my wife, have had many opportunities to discuss the impact of government intervention in healthcare. Here’s what I conclude.

Government control of healthcare will be a debacle because the government is incompetent (Medicare and Medicaid are already a debacle). The federal government is incompetent for these fundamental reasons; lack of accountability, hiring practices and policies, no profit motive, no connection to the consumer of the service, and imbedded unions that protect the incompetent employees that are all too common in government agencies.

Healthcare is personal and therefore extremely emotional. If we combine this with the reasons government is incompetent we have a recipe for disaster. That is why the only way to save the quality and access to healthcare is a free market model. And the Obama policies are driving the free market solution. These policy wonks don’t realize it yet, but America will not accept rationing or subpar medical services, and will do whatever necessary to get quality medical care. They have seen what the system can be, and the American people will never be convinced they can’t have it again. And that is why the free market will undoubtedly emerge just like it has in every country that has socialized medicine. As long as people have money to pay for private services they will. That’s a fact socialists don’t understand! So, here is what is happening in healthcare already that will save the free market.

Doctor pay is being cut by Medicare and Medicaid. These payments have not kept up with inflation and more and more doctors are refusing Medicare and Medicaid patients. Private insurance payments are based on the Medicare rate schedule so again doctors are finding it harder and harder to get market value for their services. Place this fact on top of the cost of medical school and missed opportunity costs based on the many years it takes to become a doctor, and you create an environment that incents early retirement and discourages new doctors from entering the profession. The current conditions and future concerns in the healthcare market are increasing doctor retirements and reducing the number of doctors entering the field, creating less supply while the demand is guaranteed to increase with the perception of “free” government healthcare.

In conversations with healthcare professionals what you are starting to hear more loudly than ever is private pay and free market principles as the solution. More and more doctors are starting to refuse private and government insurance programs and taking cash payment or creating their own payment plans through their practice. The more these doctors opt out of insurance the bigger the private pay market will become. In the end it will mean better care for patients at the market cost of services. As this happens more and more students will again consider the investment to become a doctor a good one.

Doctors will be able to influence change based on the demand for their services, and I predict as doctors become scarce, large corporations, and pools of small businesses will begin to hire private doctors to provide healthcare for their employees. Doctors no longer will have to be administrators and can focus on care while making a healthy paycheck. Corporations will eliminate the huge headache of administering multiple insurance plans and will be able to customize more affordable and accessible healthcare for their employees. Combine the rejection of private and government insurance with a demand from business to take care of their employees, and the government will be forced to yield control.

In conclusion, the private business of healthcare is going to thrive because of the burdens and incompetence that is occurring through bloated government and private health insurance bureaucracies. The free market will find a way to survive. Healthcare is too important and personal to leave to government or large insurance bureaucracies. The only solution left is the free market. There is nowhere else this industry can go. It has been over regulated for too long and is at a breaking point. The only way the United States healthcare “system” can survive is in a free market, entrepreneurial environment where people are free to go to doctors and pay a fare rate for the services. Insurance and government have become too expensive.

In the end, people will realize that the free market is the best answer to a healthy economic future and will re-embrace this foundational principle of our country…

Bribes, Bribes, and Lies…

The president will bribe senior citizens again with a conveniently timed “campaign” to sell a very unpopular healthcare program that was passed with an unprecedented list of bribes, and even more lies. He is sending $250 checks to seniors on Medicare to bribe people to accept this program that is actually bankrupt because if we are honest, the entire federal government is truly bankrupt. The definition of bankruptcy; someone who has insufficient assets to cover their debts. If not for the power to print money, no one in their right mind would invest in our bonds today.

We have one trillion four hundred billion more debt then we have in Tax Revenue (assets). The federal government is borrowing and using our credit and their power to tax us to cover this debt but that is the big lie. We as a people are not willing to pay more for the debt being created and the truth is we as a people want the spending cut. Sending $250 checks to seniors with this kind of debt will outrage everyone including seniors because we are all onto the federal governments biggest of lies; that we can spend our way into prosperity.

I believe this administration is creating the chaos necessary to break even more laws to institute more powers that the people don’t want. We are at the most critical turning point in our history since the civil war. We are being lied to and bribed to go along with unconstitutional programs, and unsustainable welfare programs designed to buy votes and power.

We need to be aware that any bribe you are offered by the federal government is unconstitutional but more importantly a nail in the coffin of freedom and our republic. How long before we have to actually claim bankruptcy? And then what will that bribe be worth?

Fidel Castro hails Obama…

Fidel Castro hailed Obama on finally passing healthcare reform. He released a statement which included this comment, “It is really incredible that 234 years after the Declaration of Independence ... the government of that country has approved medical attention for the majority of its citizens, something that Cuba was able to do half a century ago."

My thought is: Let’s compare the success and the wealth of Americans compared to Cubans. Here’s the choice; you can move to Cuba or stay in America; enough said. This socialist dictator has created the grandest squalor for a people that had such great opportunity until his revolution 51 years ago. We are the greatest nation in this world because of our Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

The scary thing is our current president wants to do what Castro has done to Cuba. When Castro applauds we must take notice. Think about it…

Healthcare today, dictatorship tomorrow…

216 Traitors to the American Cause…

The American Dream is not about “free” government healthcare, welfare, food stamps, bailouts, corporate tax breaks, green tax breaks, regulations or fairness, it’s about individual freedom and limited government involvement in our lives. Our country was built on merit not handouts. Tomorrow there are 216 representatives in congress who are about to break the law by passing a bill in an unconstitutional manner and today they are witnessing the wrath of an angry coalition of patriotic Americans. The government is trying to dictate and mandate a healthcare bill they say is about “fairness” but it will steal your freedom, and that is not a price America is willing to pay.

Busloads of people are arriving in DC ready to play a role any one of our founders would be proud of. Samuel Adams often had to lead a group just like the Tea Party movement to show up at the houses of British representatives and run them out of town. He did it a number of times when British representatives over stepped their bounds. He was one of the greatest agitators for revolution in the cause of freedom in American history. We are seeing his spirit today in DC, and I know exactly what he would say; God Bless them!

Many commentators are very cautious not to say this could cause civil unrest. I will tell you, if this doesn’t cause civil unrest we can say goodbye to our country. We are seeing the first step to civil unrest through these protests. This will culminate in the 2010 elections. If the grievances are still not addressed by our representatives after the election, the only choice the American people will have is the same one that founded this great nation; civil unrest leading to a revolution. It is in our blood, it is in our history, it is in our founding documents, and our founders would expect nothing less. We must be willing to pledge our lives and fortunes for our freedom and country just as our founders did.

Today’s protest is bigger than the impact of the healthcare bill; it is a protest to show our government the American people are willing to take the action necessary to defend our freedom. We are not sheep. This is a government of the people, and we are showing the political class who is in charge.

As Governor of the state of Colorado, I will be reaffirming the Tenth Amendment and challenging the Sixteenth to bring back the correct balance between the state and the federal government. It will take the same will we are seeing today in DC protesting against healthcare. If we don’t fix the root cause of this problem then the healthcare fight is just the beginning. If we reaffirm the constitution by electing Tenth Amendment Governors, healthcare will be the final fight before the constitution is put back to its rightful place, and the American Dream will once again be the driving force in a chaotic world…

No Need to Impeach Obama we have the Constitution; A Plan for the Counter Revolution…

This is a great article in the Washington Times by Jeffrey Kuhner. Here is an excerpt:

“The Slaughter Solution is a poisoned chalice. By drinking from it, the Democrats would not only commit political suicide. They would guarantee that any bill signed by Mr. Obama is illegitimate, illegal and blatantly unconstitutional. It would be worse than a strategic blunder; it would be a crime - a moral crime against the American people and a direct abrogation of the Constitution and our very democracy…“

“It would open Mr. Obama, as well as key congressional leaders such as Mrs. Pelosi, to impeachment.”

I totally agree with Mr. Kuhner that this is a criminal act against our constitution, but to continue to look to our federal representatives and the entrenched bureaucracy, lobbyists, and dependents on government largesse to reform itself is not realistic. The Governors of our United States must determine our commitment to the Union. I believe we have the greatest country and people in the world. This country was a gift from God as created by our founders, for us to nurture and steward, and has been an inspiration for the rest of the world. But we have people in charge that are revolting against our values, and have not been protecting our constitution as they have sworn, but have intentionally taken action to destroy our nation and constitution as we know it.

Here is what we need to do as “we the people.” Through our Governors and Legislatures:

• Declare our Independence by utilizing the original document which has hauntingly become so relevant again.

• Reaffirm our commitment to the constitution as a people and fifty states.

• Re-establish our bill of rights and the Tenth Amendment power we hold as states and a people.
• Call a convention of all 50 Governors to audit and nullify all unconstitutional activities of the federal government.

• Recall our representatives from Congress and have new elections.

• Establish new representatives to take the place of the current representatives serving that will uphold the constitution which will nullify Obama’s power.

Under the guise of healthcare reform, we have been overtaken by the enemies within and the devious human nature our founders warned us of at the establishment of our republic. Greed, self interest, corruption, and tyranny are in play. Who do we expect to fix this?

We don’t need to impeach Obama, we need to nullify his revolution against our constitutional republic by using the greatest weapon we hold; our US Constitution…

Senator Harkin is not God; Or any Politician for that Matter…

In comments on healthcare (he upgraded these remarks today to include the phrase inalienable right) from Senator Harkin of Iowa, he stated that the healthcare legislation is the start of the creation of “new inalienable rights” for all Americans. As if inalienable rights were something that any human could grant. Therefore he and this group of senators must believe they are God.

I would like the senator to explain how any human being can “grant” inalienable rights? The fact is we are endowed by our creator with inalienable rights. Is this senate, Mr. Harkin or any human capable of granting these rights?

This is ignorance, arrogance, and a true insight to the way these politicians view us, the holders of those rights. These people are dangerous and must be replaced with people that understand our constitution and its principles.

We must get every Governor and state legislature to speak out and nullify this healthcare bill and every other piece of legislation that is not authorized in the constitution.

This is a revolution against our constitution by the current crop of politicians. We have not heard a peep from the press or the GOP. They are both parties to this fraud being perpetrated on the people. They all must be voted out.

Find constitutional candidates and support them with your lives and fortunes… Our constitution must become front and center again. We answer to one God and he certainly doesn’t sit in this congress…

A 50 State Revolt can Happen…

Here’s how; The Governors of the United States will re-affirm their allegiance to the United States Constitution.

Every Governor needs to submit a constitutional amendment to their respective state constitutions to limit the funds taken from their citizens and businesses by the federal government through direct income taxes.

The Amendment’s will read similar to this:

“In the interest of reaffirming Colorado’s rights as outlined in the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution of which Colorado is a member in good standing, and the recognition that all responsibilities beyond the eighteen enumerated powers of the federal government as defined in the constitution are the state’s and individual citizen responsibilities, we amend our Colorado constitution to state the following; we as citizens of Colorado and the United States in our duty and responsibility to comply with the law of the land make the following a law of the great state of Colorado; that the federal government through its power as stated in the Sixteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, we in Colorado set the maximum rate on Colorado income taxation to 18% of total income from all sources derived, with the Colorado state legislature to determine the graduated rates up to the maximum of 18% of federal taxation, as our full payment for the eighteen enumerated powers and any debts incurred in the management of the federal constitutional powers. Colorado reserves the right to amend the Colorado constitution at any time through the process outlined within the same constitution.”

The only way to stop an out of control federal government is to shackle it with the law of our land; The United States Constitution… Let’s make it happen…

The Constitution and Healthcare…

The constitution protects the liberties of Americans as individuals by limiting the power of the central government. The constitution is specific in describing the powers delegated to the federal government to insure the protection of our liberty. The current healthcare debate in itself is unconstitutional because the government has no authority to take over healthcare. But specifically we need to look at three major infringements of our rights.

The first is the punitive damages in the healthcare bill that will fine and imprison citizens for not purchasing health insurance. Think about this carefully; the government that works for you are going to put you in jail if you decide to forgo health insurance even if you can pay your doctor directly for his/her services. Which is the second problem; contracts between doctors and patients.

It is our constitutional rights to contract for services between individuals. The healthcare bill is about to infringe on our right to enter into a contract with our doctors and hospitals. The federal government is going to take away your right to contract healthcare directly with insurance companies and doctors. Think again very carefully; if they can steal your right to contract with your doctor or insurance company, can they take away your right to contract for buying your house and property?

The final point here is taking away our right to end of life care and basically deciding whether or not your life is worth spending medical resources on, even if you can pay for them. What happened to our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? Think about being looked at not as an individual but an investment of the government. If you have enough years as a taxpayer left, you will be considered a good investment for healthcare services. If you are on Social Security, Medicare, no longer work, you are no longer a “benefit” to society, you are now a “drain” on society. Your ability to acquire the medical services necessary to live will be determined by a panel of federal bureaucrats. Our founders would be appalled as we should be. Stopping this healthcare bill is a matter of life and death; literally.

Is this the constitutional government our ancestors died for? Is this limited government? Or is this insanity?

Without Profits There is no Efficiency or Accountability…

I have been listening to too many commentators discussing the problem with healthcare organizations, whether it is doctors, nurses, hospitals, or insurance companies, focusing on profits. There is this tone that profits are immoral, part of the problem, or simply evil.

The reality is that profits come in many ways, and without a “profit” motive there can be no efficiency or accountability. That is why politicians demonize profits. Profits are simply the rewards for providing a service the customer wants efficiently and effectively. So what are profits? In the traditional sense they are the money left over after all expenses are paid. In a “non-profit” sense (yes, non profits must produce a profit) it is the ability to pay salaries to the people that provide the product or service that the non-profit is involved in. You see many non-profit executives’ make six figure salaries. Many non-profit buildings are some of the nicest in the country. The benefits and perks are on par with any profit organization.

Non-Profit budgets can be easily manipulated to hide profits by including many expenses that might ordinarily be much leaner in a for profit organization. This can include more generous salaries, expenses, training, travel, education, etc. The good feeling people get by working for a non-profit is all emotional rather than real. If the revenue does not cover the expense, cuts must be made in a non-profit which usually means cutting jobs. So the incentive to be efficient in providing a good service is driven by people that want to continue to have a job. There is an incentive by all in the organization to remain effective, and accountable. United Way, AARP, and AAA are examples of not for profit organizations who employ many employees and provide many services at a “non” profit.

In the for-profit sector, profit is the “extra” money the company makes to spend, save, invest, or burn depending on the owners of the company. But this drive to make money after expense is an even greater incentive than a non-profit because this ability to create profit increases the ability for the company to invest, grow and create even greater profits. This means more jobs and more profits.

If a for-profit company fails to make a profit it means only two things; the company has become inefficient at providing their product or service to the market, or the product or service is no longer important to the market.

If a non-profit can no longer raise the revenue it needs to provide the product or service to the market and pay the salaries of the employees it means only two things; the company has become inefficient at providing their product or service to the market, or the product or service is no longer important to the market.

Profit is hidden in a non-profit, apparent in a for-profit, and absent in the government. If the government takes over healthcare there will be no reason to be efficient, accountable, or effective. They get their revenue from confiscation of taxes from the public. If revenues fall they print money, borrow money, or raise taxes. There is no mechanism to drive efficiency in any government organization. There is no profit motive. It is completely political and confiscatory.

Many of the proposed healthcare Bills are unconstitutional. The constitution outlines our right to contracts. The most efficient, effective and productive relationships are between two parties contractually obligated to provide a service for a price. It often includes a profit built into the agreement that provides the incentive to perform efficiently and effectively. The contract holds both parties accountable. It is the foundation of any good relationship. The government will replace and outlaw our ability to contract under the new healthcare bill.

Do you want a government outlawing your ability to contract with your doctor or hospital? Or do you want to protect our constitutional right to contract with our doctor or hospital? That is the question.

Your doctor or hospital should want to make a profit and will most likely be efficient, effective, and accountable to your health needs. Why would we give our healthcare to a government that has no motive to be efficient, effective, or a need to be accountable?

Profits are not evil, they are needed…

“Competing” with the Government?

Recently the Post Office has introduced a new offering for package delivery basically saying if it fits in the box, no matter how heavy the box is (up to 70 lbs), or where it is headed, you are charged one flat rate. On the surface this might be considered a clever marketing campaign to garner additional business. But if you are Fed Ex or UPS this is not just a marketing campaign, it is a call to compete.

The Post Office is a government entity and runs billions of dollars in the red every year. What that means is that if the same circumstance was happening at UPS or Fed Ex they would have been out of business a long time ago. But because the Post Office has an endless stream of our cash to lose (including the employees that work at these two companies), they are not competing on a level playing field. The amazing thing to me is how UPS and Fed Ex still kick the Post Office’s butt in the service area. The Post Office, even with this endless pit of our money, still can’t beat down these two extremely efficient private organizations. This new offering does not have to take into account the cost of providing the service. So even if it costs the Post Office $100 a package to deliver and they charge $70, oh well. They just keep running deficits. If you are UPS or Fed Ex running deficits, this means not being able to pay employees, fix trucks, fly planes, and deliver packages. Basically you end up going out of business.

That will not be the case in the government run healthcare arena. Here’s why; Fed Ex and UPS are allowed to compete with the Post Office except for delivering letters. By law, UPS or Fed Ex cannot deliver the mail and this is how the insurance will be. By statute the private insurers will be regulated so they will only be able to offer services their “competitor” the government allows it to insure. Think of it this way; if UPS could regulate what Fed Ex could deliver; they would decide that Fed Ex gets all of the large, bulky, heavy packages, and only going to the state of Iowa. The rest of the freight, light, square, and delivered in all of the remaining states is left to UPS, who will be in business and who will win the “competition?”

You see, there is no competing with the government. They are allowed by the endless infusion of our cash to operate inefficiently, corruptly, and politically. They will be regulating their “competitors”, the private insurers, right out of business. The politicians will never admit failure of a system, just look at Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the VA. So there is no competition, government will win no matter what. The rules of the market will not be applied therefore the market cannot work.

There is no competing in the healthcare arena which means if this bill passes the government will be running your healthcare. And in my opinion, I would rather get my healthcare from UPS or Fed Ex…

Our Moral Obligation; really?

Yesterday President Obama in a plea to “progressive” Catholic leaders tried to pontificate that it is our moral obligation to take care of our fellow man. Really; where did he reference this obligation? The Bible I believe. Now call me a cynic but didn’t the Obama justice department just threaten jail terms to High School teachers in Florida for referencing a prayer in public?

Again, call me a cynic, but you can’t reference the bible when it suits your argument to pass healthcare legislation and then arrest people for praying as we are asked to do in that same Bible. And as far as I know there is no reference in the Bible that the “government” has an obligation to “take care” of its citizens. The Bible talks about we as individuals should be our brother’s keeper. No third party shift of responsibility but a direct request of we as individuals.

And we do it better and with more compassion than any other nation through our churches and private charities. Using the Bible as the basis of government action is not only dangerous it is unconstitutional. Dangerous because if you attempt to apply the teachings of the Bible through the government apparatus, you are asking for tyranny. How can the government enforce “love thy neighbor”, “treat others as you would like to be treated” , “be thy brother’s keeper”; through law? We as individuals must be grounded in our faith and have a moral foundation for this government to work, but you can’t legislate the Bible teachings when it suits you.

The Christian faith is the foundation of our success and compassion in this country. The liberals including many in this administration are doing their best to destroy Christianity in the public square and now we are expected to believe that it is the Bible teachings that support a government takeover of healthcare?

These people are unbelievable. The Bible is a guide to living our lives to the fullest as individuals. There are too many sinners in this government to trust them with anything never mind our health decisions. Let us pray these people are defeated and seen for what they are… Am I under arrest? I guess that depends on if I support government healthcare…

The Revolution is Already Under Way…

When the American Revolution finally happened it was preceded by many events similar to what is currently under way in the healthcare debate. Government mandates that infringed on the public’s ability to have their voices heard. King George knew what was happening but believed if he steam rolled forward, ignored his subjects he could stomp out the uprisings that were happening in the colonies.

Obama and his administration are making the same mistake. The current course of the federal government is to limit public input and is taking away basic principles of petitioning our government. This administration is now on the receiving end of what King George mis-calculated in 1776. The people are done with an intrusive central power intent on determining the destiny of their lives.

These “townhall” meetings are going to get more and more contentious. The emotional connection with losing freedom cannot be quelled with a simple request for “civility”. There is nothing civil about denying freedom. As a matter of fact it is the perfect excuse for a revolution…

Union Thugs Are Nothing New And They’re Not Enough…

I supported Mitt Romney’s senate campaign against Ted Kennedy back in 96 and the same tactic they used then is coming back today. The meeting in Tampa as seen in this video is typical of the left’s answer to debate and criticism; bring in the goons.

These union members should be ashamed of themselves. Are they not Americans first? The reason there is such opposition to healthcare is the speed, secrecy, and elitism that is being used to push it through. There has been no debate and members of congress don’t even know what is in the bill. We should all be scared as Americans.

Corner an American and what you get is similar to any creature you corner; a violent reaction. These members of congress who are closing down their meetings with union bouncers are getting the reaction it deserves; total rebellion. This is the American way when our government over steps its bounds. These congress people and union thugs are inciting the reaction they are getting.

And what is president Obama’s response? To blame the protestors, call in the brown shirts to rat out good Americans that disagree, and basically dig a bigger hole for his presidency. The next step will be a total revolt of the American people against this government and it is being fueled by the arrogance of this president.

They are thugs from Chicago and they are used to getting their way. This is not Chicago, this is America. We are on the rise and ready to confront this assault on America’s traditions, values, and freedom. Bring it on Mr. president. Union members that support you are not enough to stop the will of the American people. We are ready to fight for our freedoms; whose side are you on?